Indeed his position was eminent, for Uncle John moved sideways, leaving space between Pa and himself for the preacher.
Casy squatted down like the others, facing Grampa enthroned on the running board.
Ma went to the house again.
There was a screech of a lantern hood and the yellow light flashed up in the dark kitchen.
When she lifted the lid of the big pot, the smell of boiling side-meat and beet greens came out the door.
They waited for her to come back across the darkening yard, for Ma was powerful in the group.
Pa said,
“We got to figger when to start.
Sooner the better.
What we got to do ’fore we go is get them pigs slaughtered an’ in salt, an’ pack our stuff an’ go.
Quicker the better, now.”
Noah agreed,
“If we pitch in, we kin get ready tomorrow, an’ we kin go bright the nex’ day.”
Uncle John objected,
“Can’t chill no meat in the heat a the day.
Wrong time a year for slaughterin’.
Meat’ll be sof’ if it don’ chill.”
“Well, le’s do her tonight.
She’ll chill tonight some. Much as she’s gonna.
After we eat, le’s get her done.
Got salt?”
Ma said,
“Yes.
Got plenty salt.
Got two nice kegs, too.”
“Well, le’s get her done, then,” said Tom.
Grampa began to scrabble about, trying to get a purchase to arise.
“Gettin’ dark,” he said. “I’m gettin’ hungry.
Come time we get to California I’ll have a big bunch a grapes in my han’ all the time, a-nibblin’ off it all the time, by God!” He got up, and the men arose.
Ruthie and Winfield hopped excitedly about in the dust, like crazy things.
Ruthie whispered hoarsely to Winfield,
“Killin’ pigs and goin’ to California.
Killin’ pigs and goin’—all the same time.”
And Winfield was reduced to madness.
He stuck his finger against his throat, made a horrible face, and wobbled about, weakly shrilling,
“I’m a ol’ pig.
Look!
I’m a ol’ pig.
Look at the blood, Ruthie!” And he staggered and sank to the ground, and waved arms and legs weakly.
But Ruthie was older, and she knew the tremendousness of the time.
“And goin’ to California,” she said again.
And she knew this was the great time in her life so far.
The adults moved toward the lighted kitchen through the deep dusk, and Ma served them greens and side-meat in tin plates.
But before Ma ate, she put the big round wash tub on the stove and started the fire to roaring.
She carried buckets of water until the tub was full, and then around the tub she clustered the buckets, full of water.
The kitchen became a swamp of heat, and the family ate hurriedly, and went out to sit on the doorstep until the water should get hot.
They sat looking out at the dark, at the square of light the kitchen lantern threw on the ground outside the door, with a hunched shadow of Grampa in the middle of it.
Noah picked his teeth thoroughly with a broom straw.
Ma and Rose of Sharon washed up the dishes and piled them on the table.
And then, all of a sudden, the family began to function.